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Defiant Daniel Stendel insists Hearts will fight any decision to relegate the Tynecastle side in court.

The remainder of the season is expected to be concluded amid the coronavirus pandemic, but if it is cut short, the Jambos could be relegated as they sit bottom of the Premiership.

Stendel has agreed to waive his salary with players being asked by Ann Budge to take a 50 per cent wage cut during the financial uncertainty of the COVID-19 crisis.

And the German boss insists Hearts will not go down without a fight with 24 points still up for grabs.

Hearts boss Daniel Stendel (Image: SNS Group)

He told a German publication: "We would legally defend ourselves if they relegated us, that is clear.

"Theoretically, there are still 24 points to be allocated, so you can't just send us to the second division.

"There has been talk of possible scenarios including the possibility of increasing the league. With twelve teams, adding two more would not be a big problem.

"But personally, I wouldn't want to endure people saying that we were only saved by reconstruction. I would like to survive through the normal season, but that seems difficult to imagine in the current situation."

Stendel has also defended Hearts chief Budge, adding: "Most of the money donated by our fans in recent years went towards the building of a new stand.

"Our owner wants to hand the club over to fans in an economically sound position. That's why she is acting with caution. She doesn't want to fire any employee and plays it safe.

"Except for Celtic and Rangers, other Scottish clubs will also have their problems."

Hearts chief executive Ann Budge (Image: SNS Group)

Stendel insists the decision to give up his salary was of his own accord and he felt he had no option with the club in disarray during the pandemic.

He said: "It was my decision. I had to think about my coaching staff. A Scottish colleague came from the Youth Academy, one of my assistant coaches waived money to move from Barnsley to Hearts and he'll be a father in a few weeks. And Jorg Sievers left Hannover to come to Hearts. I thought to myself, 'these guys have given up money, I'll do it too.'

"It's not that I don't need the money and I certainly don't get the same salary as a second division manager in Germany for example, but we want the club to be preserved.

"What use would it be to me if I got my money, but the club no longer existed?

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"We were on track in terms of the football. We won the derby and the atmosphere was great. No violence in the stadium, just pure adrenaline and joy.

"But the loss of income from the rest of the season hurts us tremendously. I don't know the numbers in detail. But the missed Scottish Cup semi-finals would have earned us half a million and you can certainly count on six-figure sums for each home game.

"In Scotland, television contracts are not as lucrative as in other countries, so audience revenue is huge. The clubs' finances here are comparable to the German Third Division. There is already a real risk of financial bankruptcies here.

"So now I spend my days talking to the players on the phone and giving them weekly training plans and I've done an incredible amount of video scouting. We still prepare so that we can continue at some point. What else are we left with?"